


Conviction

by whooshboomtree



Series: The Eighth War Over, the Battle Continues [2]
Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Rockman X8 | Mega Man X8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 02:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15572133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whooshboomtree/pseuds/whooshboomtree
Summary: In some ways, X was sure that he just worried too much, and that Axl really was just struggling to come to terms with what had happened on the moon. And Zero thought the same, until everything began to spiral out of control and push everyone's conviction to its limits. (Followup to Fury)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So apparently after the last one I just couldn't let go of this post-X8 Axl scenario, huh.  
> Listen I know if X9 ever happens it won't ever be as cool as this whole thing in my own head, but I also really got the itch to rewrite this plotline and do it MUCH better than I did 4-5 years ago. Let me write out my emotions and fantasies before X9 comes along and canonically dashes my hopes and dreams, dammit.

“You’re still on this, huh X?”

 

X glanced up only momentarily before returning his gaze to the screen of data, answering Zero’s question with no more than a mute nod. Though he looked half-exhausted, wearing a slightly too big blue hoodie instead of any proper attire, his posture slouched and his chin resting on one hand while he scrolled the screen along with the other, Zero didn’t miss the sharp mix of focus and frustration in his eyes. “And still nothing?” Zero pressed.

 

Again, X’s answer was just a silent shake of his head, and this time Zero fell silent as well. “Nothing,” X said after a few minutes, sitting back and rubbing his eyes. “Asimov, this is killing me…”

 

“It’s still the crash logs from his helmet, right?” Zero asked, striding across the room to lean on the back of X’s chair and give the screen a cursory glance. “How many times have you gone over this?”

 

“Too many,” X sighed, scrolling to the top regardless as if to start over. “Other than anything you’d expect from a crash log after being nailed in the head, everything’s normal. I just…” Again, he shook his head, his frustration beginning to show through more clearly now. “I can’t shake the thought that I’m missing something.”

 

Zero squinted at the screen for a long moment, his brow furrowing with concern, before piping up with, “What makes you so sure?” Not that he wanted to discourage X’s train of thought- quite the opposite, in fact, and he knew from years of friendship that X often figured things out at his best if he was able to talk through it. “Because he isn’t sleeping?”

 

“Among other things,” X replied. “His nightmares aren’t getting any better either.”

 

“Neither are mine,” Zero pointed out with a shrug. “Though for what it’s worth he told me he’s finally got an appointment next week to talk with a therapist about it. An actual trained one, not you.”

 

“Very funny,” X said. “And more than I can say for you.”

 

“You know me,” Zero said, unable to help a slight smirk.

 

It faded as quickly as it came though when X simply sighed and started scrolling through the data again, and after a moment Zero sighed too. “It’s not just that, is it?” he pressed. “Something else is bothering you about this.”

 

X stopped scrolling, drawing in a deep breath and finally turning in his chair to meet Zero’s gaze, his expression full of as much stubbornness as worry and frustration. “I keep trying to convince myself that I’m just paranoid,” he said quietly, and it was only now that Zero noticed the dark circles under his eyes, a sure sign that he hadn’t been sleeping either. “I know I worry too much. But something just... _ feels _ wrong. Nothing ever shakes Axl up this bad, not even being literally face-to-face with Sigma during the Red Alert incident. And losing them affected him hard, but...not like this. Not to mention, a blow to the helmet shouldn’t have knocked his systems out for nearly that long unless there was some kind of massive data error.”

 

“And everything looks normal?”

 

“Other than some minor data scrambling from the circuits in his helmet being damaged from Lumine’s hit, yes,” X said. “Nothing severe enough to knock him out for the rest of the day.”

 

“Exhaustion?” Zero guessed, but X shook his head.

 

“Already compared his system logs to ours,” X said. “His energy levels were no lower than either of ours. Unless his being a prototype has anything to do with it, but nothing of the sort has ever manifested before and it seems odd for it to start now.”

 

“You really have been thorough with this,” Zero said with a shake of his head. “So what does that leave?”

 

“I don’t know,” X admitted. “Either I really am just paranoid and he’ll get better with time and proper help, or I’m missing the most miniscule detail.”

 

Zero didn’t say anything, simply looking down and scowling as he was prone to do when deep in thought, and X drew a worn sigh and turned back toward the console to resume his work. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” Zero said after a few moments, “but I was starting to get convinced that you were just worrying too much. And you’re not the only one, I’m concerned too, but I thought he just needed a little more time to recover.”

 

He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly and his grip on the headrest of X’s chair tightening. “‘Til today.”

 

That was enough to prompt X to look up from the screens of data, and he turned his chair to face Zero again, his eyes wide with interest. “I slipped into the observation deck while he was training,” Zero said. “Figured I’d check on him without his notice, seeing as how he always tries to show off if he knows I’m watching. He was…”

 

He trailed off, and X frowned, interest quickly giving way to concern. “What happened, Zero?” he pressed. “Is he okay?”

 

Zero was silent for a few moments, and only someone who knew him as well as X would’ve been able to pick up on the worry behind his deepening scowl. “I don’t know,” he said at last. “He was yelling at the sim targets. Telling them to stop, saying they shouldn’t be there. He sounded...scared, X. Really scared.”

 

“What...was he seeing?” X asked when Zero paused again.

 

“I…called out to him on the overhead mic and halted the sim,” Zero said. “Maybe it was impulsive, but something didn’t...feel right. And he was still shaking when I went down to talk to him. He said all of a sudden the sim targets he was looking at were…‘a bunch of Lumines’, in his words. All of them pointing his own gun back in his face. Apparently they went back to normal as soon as he heard me talking.”

 

X curled his fingers to grip the armrest, and Zero was sure that he was thinking of a million worst-case-scenarios already. “I calmed him down and told him to go lay down with a movie and rest,” Zero went on. “He hasn’t gotten more than a few hours of sleep this week. So maybe he’s just so tired that his processor is starting to fabricate paranoia into false image data. It’s…” He paused, words catching in his throat for a moment, and it was only because he was talking to X and absolutely no one else was in the R&D room that he dared to continue. “Happened to me once or twice. Not in a long time,” he added when X frowned. “But it’s not out of the question.”

 

“You don’t believe that’s what’s wrong for a second, do you?” X asked without a moment’s hesitation.

 

“No,” Zero said. “No, I don’t. All of his system scans have been coming back normal. Either he’s suddenly done a one-eighty when it comes to conviction, which he hasn’t, or something  _ isn’t _ normal and something’s been falsifying his scans.”

 

“You don't think he's bullshitting about being more fine than he really is?”

 

“Nah. You and I both know he can't lie to save his life, he's too damn twitchy. So.”

 

He straightened up, clapping X on the shoulder and turning on his heel, and X couldn’t help a worn but genuine smile as he recognized Zero’s ‘time to get down to business’ demeanor. “I’m going to get us both some coffee, and then we’re going to go over these logs until we find whatever’s giving the kid so much hell. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

 

“Right,” X said, letting out a quiet sigh of relief and knowing full well that Zero was as concerned as he was, if not more so- just not nearly as good at wording it sometimes. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to lessen the strain on his optics for a few minutes while he sent a silent ping to Axl’s comm line.  _ Heard from Zero about what happened earlier. Hope you get some rest and feel better, kiddo. _

 

Part of him itched to go and check on Axl in person, but- no, he desperately needed the rest, and if he wanted the company X was sure he’d ask for it. A few minutes later he received a ping from Axl’s comm in reply, and though it was no more than a brief signal of warmth and gratitude, it was enough to assure X that, at least for now, Axl was safe in his room and taking some much-needed time to relax.

 

Soon enough, Zero returned with a mug of hot coffee for each of them- not that the caffeine had any real effect on their systems, but X was convinced that the placebo effect was a powerful thing- and X scooted his chair to one side so that Zero could drag another seat up next to him. “I grabbed this too,” Zero said as he set a three-foot-long black cable on the console. “It’s easier to discuss coding via link,” he added when X blinked at him in surprise.

 

“That’s true,” X conceded, clipping one end of the cable into the charge port on the back of his neck. “You really must be worried if you’re the one suggesting a direct processor link.”

 

Zero didn’t respond, simply plugging in his end of the cable and fixing X with a look that held an unspoken, ‘Only because it’s you.’ “Right,” X said once his systems had taken a few moments to calibrate to the flow of data from another unit’s processor. “Let’s get to work.”

 

Linking like this wasn’t something they did often, mostly due to Zero’s instinctively defensive nature, and even now the protections around his data were almost painfully intense, figuratively keeping his friend at a distance in spite of the physical link between their every thought. X didn’t let it bother him, trusting that Zero would let him know anything he really  _ needed _ to know and easily picking up on the tension in Zero’s shoulders anyway for how close they were sitting to one another.

 

While X was more knowledgeable on the ins and outs of Reploid builds and coding in general, courtesy of his time spent in Dr. Cain’s lab, Zero was far more keen when it came to picking up on glitches and errors, courtesy of a reason neither he nor X chose to speak on right now, and that quickly became apparent as Zero picked up on several harmless, miniscule oddities in Axl’s coding that X hadn’t even begun to notice. With their processors linked, neither of them bothered to speak, able to communicate the nuances and complexities of their findings far more concisely and accurately than they ever could with words.

 

Halfway through their fourth pass on Axl’s crash logs, Zero suddenly sat up slightly, a sharp signal pulling X’s attention to one line of coding in particular. X frowned, unconvinced, but Zero shook his head, quickly beginning to run through a number of simulations and scans while X observed in silence, making no effort to keep his curiosity to his end of their link but patiently letting Zero work through the epiphany unhindered.

 

At least until Zero suddenly jerked his head up, unable to hide both the shocked expression on his face and the wave of horror that overwhelmed his processor. X didn’t even need to ask, the image immediately clear in his own mind as well, clear enough to make his stomach turn as he brought a hand up to cover his mouth. His mental rush of, “Oh no, oh hell no, oh  _ Asimov alive _ , no,” was matched at once by Zero’s near-frantic flood of, “We need to do something, we have to do something  _ now _ ,  _ right now _ ,” as palpable fear quickly overcame his mental walls-

 

And before either of them could take a moment to disentangle their rapidly-merging thought processes, an emergency signal sounded out loud and clear in both of their communicators.

 

Zero stood up, ripping the cable from the back of his neck, and X hissed slightly at the painful jolt that came being disconnected so suddenly. “I knew it wasn’t right,” Zero was muttering under his breath, rubbing his forehead as if the sudden disconnection had shocked his system as well, but only for a moment before he lifted his head, his eyes burning with fury. “That son of a bitch…”

 

“No time,” X said, getting to his feet as well and checking the pocket of his hoodie briefly. “Signal originated from his room, he hasn’t gone anywhere. Let’s go.”

 

Zero glanced at his friend for a moment, but when X only nodded, he grunted in assent and called up a teleportation signal, knowing as well as X did that there was no time to waste in gathering his armor proper. “There’s no telling what we’ll find,” X said as he felt the familiar pull against his systems, the R&D lab disappearing and the world around them quickly reassembling itself into the dormitory hallway. “Steady…”

 

“Right,” Zero said, though he didn’t take his hand away from where he’d lifted it to grip the hilt of his saber. “You...you’re right, I know…”

 

“ _ Zero _ …”

 

“Sorry,” Zero sighed, letting his arm fall to his side. “You lead. You’re better at this than I am.”

 

X nodded, deciding to forego knocking and instead wirelessly inputting the code for Axl’s room and sliding the door partway open. To his relief, Axl was apparently conscious, sitting up in bed in sweatpants and a too-big t-shirt with his shoulders hunched and his head in his hands, the sound of the door opening making him flinch slightly. “Axl?” X prompted quietly. “You have another bad dream…?”

 

“Y...yeah,” Axl mumbled without looking up, and X stepped into the room and nodded for Zero to do the same, quietly shutting the door once they were both inside. “Yeah, I...I guess I did.”

 

His voice was hoarse with strain, and after a few moments he sighed and let his hands fall to his sides, his eyes half-glazed with fear and exhaustion. At a brief, wordless glance from X, Zero crossed the room to sit down on the bed, lightly resting a hand on Axl’s back. “You’re shaking like a leaf, kiddo,” he said, and there was no missing the sympathy under his otherwise-gruff tone. “This can’t be good for any part of your systems.”

 

“You’re telling me,” Axl said with a joyless, shaky laugh. “I just wish I knew what to do about it.”

 

“Seeing a specialist sooner rather than later would be a start,” Zero suggested.

 

Axl shrugged, groaning quietly and lifting a hand to rub his temples. “My head is killing me. And like I said earlier, soonest they can get me in is next week.”

 

“Bullshit,” Zero snorted. “Let me have a go at them and we’ll see if they change their tune. This is serious, Axl. Your systems keep straining like this and eventually something’s going to start getting damaged.”

 

“Seriously, you guys worry too much,” Axl said with a worn smile and a shake of his head. “Will you both relax?”

 

“Not until you’re back to yourself,” X replied, his sharp tone leaving no room for argument. “You’re having dreams so vivid you sent us both an emergency signal in your sleep. That’s not  _ normal _ , Axl. If Zero throwing his weight around isn’t enough then I’ll add mine, but I think there’s been enough stalling on this.”

 

“All right, all right, jeez,” Axl said, a hint of a whine creeping into his tone. “But can it at least wait until tomorrow? I’m way too worked up right now to talk to a total stranger about all this shit.”

 

His left hand twitched, so subtly that most people wouldn’t have noticed it, but Zero was far from the realm of ‘most people’, especially on a day like today, and in one smooth movement that took less than a second, he snatched Axl’s left wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. “Ow!” Axl yelped as Zero’s free hand grabbed the back of his head and shoved him down until he was pinned chest-first to the bed. “Zero, what the fuck was that for?! What’d I do?!”

 

“Why is your gun in your hand, Axl?”

 

Zero’s tone was so cold, so deadly quiet and serious, that Axl froze on the spot, his eyes darting over to the pistol that had started to materialize in his palm moments before Zero grabbed his arm, the weapon now lying uselessly on the blankets next to his leg. Instead of answering, he surged upward against the other unit’s weight with a surprising amount of strength, jerking his head back and narrowly missing Zero’s chin. Zero instinctively tried to force him down into another, heavier pin, all of his combat protocols flaring to life-

 

Until he heard a sharp pop from somewhere to his right, a small, metallic dart piercing the skin of Axl’s neck just below his right ear, and almost at once he felt all of the fight begin to drain from Axl’s body. “Enough,” X said quietly, lowering the dart gun as he watched Axl’s eyes fuzz over with grey static. “Let him go, Zero.”

 

Zero hesitated for a moment before managing a tight nod, unable to stop his hands from shaking as he let Axl’s unconscious chassis drop limply onto the bed. “Fucking hell,” he mumbled. “Fucking... _ son _ of a…”

 

“I know,” X said, taking a deep breath and sliding the dart gun back into the pocket of his hoodie. “I know. But there’s no time to dwell on that right now.”

 

“You...you’re right,” Zero conceded, though the fury didn’t leave his gaze in the slightest. “How did you know…?”

 

“Let’s just say that every now and again my paranoia comes in handy,” X replied, keeping his hands tucked into the hoodie pocket as though taking comfort in having a weapon close at hand. “He won’t be out forever. We have a lot to do and not a lot of time.”

 

“Then may as well get to it,” Zero said, hauling Axl’s unmoving chassis over his shoulder and straightening up. “Lead the way.”


	2. Chapter 2

Rebooting was a slow, painful process for Axl’s systems, the tranquilizing nanites still not entirely flushed from his body. No other immediate damage alerts came up, and when the ringing in his aural circuits began to subside he was able to make out two familiar hushed voices nearby. “You're sure a program like that would work?” X was asking, and there was no mistaking the concern in his tone.

 

“It'll work,” came Zero’s answer, accompanied by a quiet scoff. “I know more than the average person when it comes to seek-and-destroy programming. But it also probably wouldn't be particularly refined unless you gave me about three weeks and several passes from you as well.”

 

“And we don't have anywhere close to that,” X sighed. “Nor do we have many options.”

 

“I know. We’ll figure something out, X. One way or another.”

 

“Guys?” Axl piped up, his optics finally coming back into focus. “What's going on…?”

 

X and Zero both turned as he spoke, both if them now in full armor and neither of them missing the way Axl’s voice was unusually soft with fear. “What happened?” Axl pressed, wriggling against the heavy restraints locking his wrists and ankles to the R&D room’s bed.  “How...how come I’m restrained…?”

 

X cast a brief glance in Zero’s direction, and Zero nodded wordlessly and sat down at a console nearby, tossing X one end of a black cable. “Sorry for the harsh methods,” X said, taking up a seat next to the bed and plugging his end of the cable into his charge port before picking up an old-looking laptop. “I couldn't take any chances in the moment.”

 

“Chances of  _ what _ ?”

 

“Never mind it,” X said. “I'm going to run some scans on your systems, all right?”

 

“Not like you're giving me much of a choice,” Axl muttered, flexing against his restraints experimentally for a few moments longer before giving up. He could feel the data cable nudging against the back of his head, making it just slightly uncomfortable to lay back, and from this angle he couldn't see Zero’s expression at all. “But for real, what's going on and why am I all chained up like a Maverick ready for viral study?”

 

X didn't answer, reaching around to connect the laptop to a cable dangling off of the side of the bed and casting another brief glance in Zero’s direction. “Axl,” he said once Zero had sent him a mental affirmative in response, “is there something you haven't told us?”

 

“Uh...I'm gonna need a little more context than that.”

 

“About how you've been feeling lately,” X said, and his voice carried a not-so-subtle tone of, 'don’t even think about messing around right now’. “Is there anything- anything at  _ all _ that you're not telling us about the past few weeks?”

 

“I mean...no,” Axl said, his brow furrowing slightly. “Unless you're desperate to hear the play-by-play details of every nightmare I've had since the thing on the moon happened, but I feel like that's not what you're asking. And I really don't wanna talk about all that anyway so I hope that's not what you're asking.”

 

“It’s not,” X said with a shake of his head. “All I want is to figure out what’s going on so I can help you.”

 

“I think the methods are a little intense

,” Axl muttered. “But I mean it, X, I can’t think of anything. I mean…” He frowned, tilting his head slightly and trying to puff his bangs out of his eyes. “I guess some of the dreams have left me with a weird feeling of dread and doom, but...I didn’t really think anything of it. I figured I was just shaken up.”

 

He suddenly winced, screwing his eyes shut and making a quiet noise of pain, and X sat up slightly, his eyes darting down to his laptop screen for the briefest of moments before fixating on Axl again. “Ow,” Axl said. “I think lack of sleep and tranquilizers aren’t a good mix for me, my head hurts…”

 

X frowned, looking down to study his laptop more intently and sending the briefest of signals to Zero over the link cable. “Axl,” X said, his tone softening slightly. “You know I don't want to do this the hard way.”

 

“Do  _ what _ the hard way?” Axl whined. “Seriously X, you're starting to freak me out here! I'm not hiding anything!”

 

He turned his head, fixing X with a pleading, almost pained expression. “ _ Please _ , X. I'm not lying to you, I swear. I don't know what's going on any more than you do!”

 

X stayed silent for several moments, browsing through scans on his laptop and silently convening with Zero over their link. “I believe you, Axl,” he said. “I'm sure you haven't been aware of what's going on at all, if you can even hear me right now.”

 

“What...are you even talking about, X…?”

 

“You may as well drop the act,” X said, and when he at last looked up from the screen, there was no mistaking the barely-repressed fury in his eyes. “I know that's you, Lumine. Stop bullshitting and start explaining what the hell you're doing with Axl’s processor.”

 

Zero glanced up, but only for a moment before resuming his work at the console, while Axl reflexively tried to sit up at X’s suddenly terrifyingly sharp tone. “What...that's not...now you're just talking crazy,” he managed to stutter out. “We killed Lumine on the moon. You were there, remember? And for that matter, if he  _ was _ still alive how the hell would he get in my head of all places?”

 

“That's what I couldn't figure out either,” X said. “Unfortunately, or fortunately in this case, no coding job is perfect, and that includes yours.”

 

“But I didn't...X, it's  _ me _ …”

 

“It didn't make sense that his crash logs were so normal,” X went on, heedless of the interruption. “After being unconscious for that long. But I still couldn't figure out what, or how.”

 

A faint smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded in Zero’s direction. “Until I asked him.”

 

Axl just blinked, and Zero raised his arm in a brief wave of acknowledgement. “I don't think I would've found an error that miniscule on my own,” X admitted. “But it was a glitch neither of us have seen before in the crash logs for his helmet from that day. Impressive that the logs were cleaned up to look that normal, really.”

 

“This still doesn't explain how another Reploid is supposedly bunking in my processor right now,” Axl said, sounding just slightly dazed at the prospect.

 

“It actually does,” X said with a shake of his head. “Once we both knew what to look for, we started seeing traces of the same minor discrepancy throughout the rest of your scans. Our best theory at this point is that the tendril that hit you in the head transferred a copy of Lumine’s data into the circuits of your helmet, where it could then freely travel across the connection to the rest of your systems.”

 

He stood up, folding his hands behind his back and fixing Axl with an intense stare that few Mavericks had seen and none had lived to warn others about. “Am I wrong, Lumine? Or are you determined to keep drawing out this facade?”

 

Axl’s expression dropped into a scowl, and X sent a silent signal to Zero over their link, urging him to move forward with their plan. “I admit, I'm impressed,” Axl said, but the tone of his voice was completely different, completely  _ wrong _ as far as X was concerned. “You're sharp for an old man, X.”

 

“Age begets wisdom,” X replied dryly.

 

“I suppose I miscalculated,” Axl- Lumine- went on, flicking his head to one side in an attempt to once again get his bangs out of his eyes. “I hadn't planned on tipping Zero off to anything. Boredom must've gotten the better of me. But we all make mistakes at times, and now here we are.”

 

“Here we are indeed,” X said in the same flat tone. “Would you like to tell me just what the  _ hell _ you're doing in Axl’s systems?”

 

“No need to get so hot under the collar,” Lumine said. “It's simply a means of survival. Being stuck in the body of a prototype certainly isn't my first choice,” he added with a sneer. “But desperate times call for desperate measures.”

 

“So that was your contingency plan?” X pressed, keeping his hands folded behind his back to hide the way he was clenching his fists. “If you couldn't kill us on the moon you'd snatch one of our bodies and make it an inside job?”

 

“Not exactly.” Again, Lumine flicked his head, and again, his bangs stayed right where they were, his annoyance causing X just a twinge of satisfaction. “Perhaps my methods ended up being a bit harsh that day. What I really need is for you and Zero to simply be out of the way, one way or another.”

 

“And Axl?”

 

“Inconsequential in the long run,” Lumine sniffed. “Prototypes best serve their purpose by being a testing ground for technological advances and then being laid aside when their usefulness for such things has run its course.”

 

X’s scowl deepened, and it was only at a gentle mental tug from Zero that he kept his mouth shut and his hands to himself. “So what's your play now?” X asked. “You're trapped in someone else’s body and held down with heavy restraints, and connected to a console with a wireless chip that gave out years ago.” As he spoke, he angled his head in the direction of the laptop, his sharp gaze never wavering. “And I took the precaution of blocking signal to and from Axl’s copy chip as well.”

 

“So I noticed,” Lumine hummed thoughtfully. “At the same time, as I'm sure your scans will tell you, I've had plenty of time to work my way into Axl’s coding. Core memories, vital functions, personality data...untangling all that would take you months, if you could do it at all and somehow manage to keep his data intact.”

 

He smiled, looking so smug that X wanted to slap him across the face. “It would be a much easier task if you directly linked yourself to his processor. But you wouldn't dare, would you?” Lumine added before X could open his mouth. “You know I'd just take the chance to worm my way into your head as well and leave Axl a broken mess on the way out.”

 

Again, X clenched his fist, and Zero at last looked up from the work he was doing at the console. “The longer you wait, the more of his systems I can corrupt,” Lumine said in an almost sing-song tone. “Unless you're willing to strike some kind of deal, perhaps?”

 

Zero narrowed his eyes, but after a moment of silent back-and-forth with X he wordlessly turned and resumed his work. “I'm listening,” X said, his voice still tight and stern. “What do you want?”

 

“Frankly, I need a body that isn't this one,” Lumine said. “I can't create the better world I'm hoping for if I'm stuck in the chassis of a prototype, you see. Let me go find one, and I'll let you have this back.”

 

“In how many pieces?”

 

“One, for the most part,” Lumine replied with a shrug. “You're not wrong that even my coding jobs aren't perfect, so I certainly can't leave his data fully intact. But I can mitigate the damage to some extent.”

 

“And what good does this do us when you start another rebellion and try to kill us again?” X asked. “And take more innocent lives in the process?”

 

“Change often requires sacrifice,” Lumine pointed out. “The full scope of my plans is none of your concern right now. However.” He looked up, a smirk curling at his lips, so unnaturally cruel and cunning on Axl’s features that it took X a noticeable effort not to wince. “If you're so concerned about the damage I'd cause, you've got me in the perfect spot to kill me right now.”

 

That, at last, was enough to bring visible surprise to X’s face, and again, Lumine shrugged, looking far too casual for someone who had just seemingly asked to be shot in the face. “What, you hadn't thought about it?” he said. “Or were you just avoiding the subject? If you're worried about me taking lives, isn't it your duty as a Maverick Hunter to stop me at any cost?”

 

“That's enough, Lumine,” X said quietly, his voice tight with barely-repressed hatred.

 

“That would be quite the PR event,” Lumine added, heedless of X’s tone. “Young and upcoming Maverick Hunter killed by his mentors when he turned Maverick himself. Unless I'm mistaken, that's what he is now, is he not? Seeing as how I'm the one in control, and according to you, I, myself, am a Maverick.”

 

“I told you to  _ stop talking _ ,” X practically hissed.

 

“How important is he though?” Lumine went on. “How much are you willing to give up for the life of a flimsy little prototype upstart like him? Unless he really doesn't mean that much to you after all, in which case you really may as well kill me after all.”

 

“I said  _ shut up _ !” X shouted, slamming his fist down inches away from Lumine’s head.

 

Zero turned his head, and though the sound momentarily made Lumine flinch, he met X’s furious gaze evenly, the smirk never leaving his features. “My apologies,” he said in a silky-smooth tone. “It seems I hit a nerve.”

 

They stared one another down for a few more seconds before X abruptly stood up and disconnected the cable from his charge port, turning and stalking out of the room with his hands folded behind his back. “I never knew he had such a temper,” Lumine said with a click of his tongue. “Is his will starting to falter in his old age?”

 

“Not even a chance,” Zero said, turning back to the console to once again resume his work. “I wouldn't keep pushing your luck, if I were you. X is the last person you want to piss off.”

 

He stood up, detaching his end of the cable so it wouldn't trail on the floor, and strode across the room to check the restraints. “If you'll excuse me for a minute,” he said, perfectly matching Lumine’s silky tone. “Don't do anything particularly stupid while I'm gone.”

 

With that, he turned on his heel and left the room, his posture and expression softening when he saw X standing just outside with his eyes closed and his forehead leaned against the wall. “You good, X?” he asked quietly.

 

“You know the answer to that,” X mumbled, but after a few seconds he took a deep breath and straightened up, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “I'm fine. I just needed a minute.”

 

Zero nodded, and X felt some of his tension beginning to ease under his friend’s steady, familiar gaze. “How are things coming on your end?” he asked. “Do you think your program will work?”

 

“It should,” Zero said. “Now that I've locked onto his signal it's not nearly as hard to find. He's not lying, though. His coding is woven in deep and it's only going to get worse.”

 

“As expected,” X said with a long, heavy sigh. “I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't let him get to me. Being linked with you...helps though.”

 

“Good,” Zero said. “Ready to press on?”

 

“Yes,” X said, straightening up with a nod. “Yes, there's no time to sulk. Let's go.”

 

Zero clasped a hand to his shoulder and offered him a brief smile, and with that they both turned and strode back into the room, Zero settling down at the console again as they reattached the link cable. “My apologies,” X said, able to meet Lumine’s smug gaze more steadily now. “It was rude of me to snap like that.”

 

“Oh, not at all,” Lumine hummed. “Take all the time you need.”

 

X simply shook his head, feeling steadfast with Zero’s presence thrumming against his every thought. “This deal you offered us,” he said. “What assurance do you have that you’ll hold up your end? And how do we know you won’t kill us a week later?”

 

“Frankly, the only assurance you have is my word,” Lumine said. “And for what it’s worth, perhaps I did get a bit...overzealous during our last meeting. Excitement over the whole situation got the better of me. At the same time, if you plan on interfering with my plans, I’ll need you out of the way at some point.”

 

“And just what are these plans of yours?”

 

“As I said before, none of your concern.”

 

X narrowed his eyes slightly, taking a moment to mentally lean against Zero’s presence before speaking again. “Then I can not, as a Maverick Hunter and protector of others, let you leave this room.”

 

“Oh, is that so?” Lumine said, tilting his head and attempting to look innocent, which was far easier for him to do wearing Axl’s features instead of his own. “And what about this one? Is he not as important to you as I thought?”

 

“Axl…” For a moment, X felt his voice start to waver, but a mental nudge from Zero quickly steadied him out once again. “Axl means more than both Zero and I could ever put into words. I'm not pretending this is an easy choice.”

 

“Then why don't you get it over with and shoot me?” Lumine asked with a shrug. “If your conviction is really that strong, then show me. Look your friend in the eye as you shoot him in the face and murder him.”

 

“You really don't know when to stop talking, do you,” X sighed, again finding himself clenching his fists behind his back. “You were right about one thing last time we spoke, Lumine. The world is rarely so black and white.”

 

“I'm flattered to hear you say that.”

 

“Shut it.”

 

Lumine merely shrugged, and X sat down to check something on his laptop, briefly conferring with Zero on the status of his coding job and making every effort to keep his hands steady as he typed. “I really thought I had you back then, you know,” Lumine said. “It would've been far easier if this prototype wasn't so impulsive. It's sad, really. He has such fond memories of you, X. And Zero as well.”

 

“Now you're just trying to stall by telling me things I already know,” X murmured without looking up.

 

“Go on then,” Lumine said with a derisive sniff. “I’ll have you know though, I can still hear him clearly enough, in a sense at least. He really is scared for his life right now. I wonder how you're planning on killing him?”

 

“You may as well stop,” X said. “You're not going to change our minds.”

 

“Not even if I relate to you how much he's begging for his life? How panicked he is at the idea of his mentor ending him? He really doesn't want you to do this, X.”

 

X shut his eyes as Lumine rambled on, clenching his fists and taking a deep breath, only Zero’s steady presence keeping his rising doubt at bay. Even then, every word Lumine spoke made his chest ache more and more-

 

“He’s lying!”

 

He jerked his head up in surprise to see that Lumine’s smug expression had fallen away, strain clear on his features as he spoke, and even Zero spun around in his chair at the shout. “Don't...listen to a damn word he says!” he went on hoarsely. “Just...just get rid of him before he hurts someone, don't worry about me! I'll be f-”

 

He broke off into a strangled shout, jerking his head to one side and thrashing against his restraints, and when he looked up again his features were contorted into a furious scowl. “Damn prototype,” he hissed. “His stubborn streak really knows no bounds.”

 

X blinked, but after a moment the shock on his face gave way to a warm, tired smile, and he settled back in his chair, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Every time,” he murmured. “Even now, you're still the one keeping my spirits up in the lowest moments

.”

 

Zero smiled faintly as well, a gleam of pride in his eyes as he muttered, “Spoken like a true Hunter, kid,” and turned back to his work.

 

“Spoken like an S-class Hunter, indeed,” X agreed. “You know, when you get to my age, Lumine, there comes a point when you learn to pick your battles. Right now, I can either fight you on your terms later, or I can take you down on my turf and save everyone a lot of hurt and heartache.”

 

“So that's it then?” Lumine pressed. “You'd so easily cast your friend aside?”

 

“It's not easy,” X said with another shake of his head. “It never gets any easier. But Axl’s a Maverick Hunter. He knows that means he may have to give his life to protect others. And he knows as well as any of us about the meaning of sacrifice.”

 

He sent Zero a questioning ping, and a few seconds later Zero stood up and pulled a small thumbdrive out of the console. “What's all this supposed to be?” Lumine asked. “Some kind of antiviral? I'm not a virus, you know.”

 

“Obviously,” Zero said, ruffling Axl’s hair with a familiar smirk. “Proud of you, kiddo. Sorry this is gonna sting a little.”

 

Lumine reflexively tried to jerk his head away, but some of his smugness was beginning to give way to noticeable suspicion. “What are you both playing at?”

 

“You'll find out soon enough,” X said, setting the laptop aside and standing up to lightly touch the back of his hand to Axl’s cheek. “You really are one of the most incredible people I've met in my life, Axl. If you can still hear me, I'm sorry there isn't another way. Just...try to stay strong, okay? Everything...it'll be over soon.”

 

“What are you  _ doing _ ?” Lumine repeated, raising his voice slightly. “One of you answer me!”

 

X and Zero shared a glance, and at a nod from his friend, X took the thumbdrive and plugged it into his laptop, falling silent as he typed in the necessary commands. Inwardly, he knew he was a mess, his core aching and his stomach clenching and every fiber of his being fighting against the heat threatening to well in his optics. Though Zero still kept himself fairly guarded even now, X could sense his friend’s anguish as well, a faint repetition of,  _ I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry _ , making his hands tremble faintly.

 

But they both knew they didn't have time for another plan.

 

They didn't have time to argue or bargain.

 

They didn't have time for X to refine Zero’s hastily-written program to make it less destructive.

 

They didn't have time to hesitate.

 

“I'm sorry, Axl,” X murmured, entering the execute command as Zero clasped a hand to his shoulder. “I'm sorry.”

 

At first, it appeared as though nothing had happened, but as Lumine opened his mouth to say as much, he suddenly winced as though something had stung him in the eye. “What the hell is this?” he asked as the program surged into his circuitry. “What did you  _ do _ ?”

 

“I may not be the smartest person,” Zero replied, unable to help a smug smirk of his own. “But I know a thing or two about seek-and-destroy. All I needed to get started was a solid lock on your signature.”

 

He bent down, resting his elbow on the table and leaning in close as Lumine winced again. “Luckily it was much easier to find the spikes once you started running your mouth.”

 

“You're stupid,” Lumine snapped, now visibly struggling to hold himself together as the program began to do its work on his data. “You couldn't have programmed something that hastily that wouldn't do irreparable damage to-”

 

“I know,” Zero interrupted, stepping back as Lumine thrashed against his restraints in a fit of pain. “Believe me, Lumine. I know.”

 

He and X could do little more than watch as the program tore its way through Lumine’s data, deleting any traces it found along the way regardless of what other coding it was entangled with. “ _ Stop _ !” Lumine yelled, his cool, confident demeanor finally giving way. “Stop this, dammit!”

 

“I didn't program it to stop,” Zero said flatly. “What would be the point in that?”

 

After only a minute, Lumine’s thrashing was beginning to weaken as his motor functions shut down, the program clearly leaving a trail of half-destroyed coding in its wake. “You'll kill him,” he wheezed, though his vocal processor was clearly beginning to suffer as well. “You'll live the rest of your sorry lives knowing what you did to him!”

 

“We’ll lead the rest of our lives knowing what  _ you _ did to him,” Zero corrected sharply, sensing over their processor link that X was still struggling to hold it together in spite of his outward calm. “Just stop talking and give up already. You're not winning this fight, Lumine.”

 

Lumine closed his eyes, an involuntary shudder passing through him, and when he looked up again his expression was soft and wide-eyed and full of pleading, so much so that it took X and Zero both a notable effort not to flinch. “Please,” he whispered, his voice growing fainter. “X, it hurts,  _ please _ .”

 

It sounded so much like Axl shortly after Red’s death, so despairing and desperate for comfort, that X found himself needing to turn away, though only for a moment before a light nudge from Zero brought him back to his senses. “Valiant effort,” Zero said. “But both of us know Axl better than that.”

 

Lumine laid his head back with a groan, his features still twisted with pain and his optics beginning to waver in and out of focus. “Damn the both of you to hell,” he mumbled. “I hope you’re both...haunted for the rest of your...damn sorry lives. At least…” He exhaled sharply, attempting to struggle against his restraints one more time to no avail as his motor functions shut down. “I can...take your precious prototype down with me.”

 

His voice faded to a bare, strained whisper on the last word, the vibrant green of Axl’s optics fading away to dull, grey static as his systems shut down, and only then did X turn away and bury his head against Zero’s shoulder as the heat welling in his eyes at last spilled over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be real...the scariest part of writing this chapter was the fact that at several points during the beginning, I- the writer- wasn't sure if Lumine or Axl was the one in control.  
> Yikes.  
> I'm fairly satisfied with how this chapter turned out though! Lumine's a hard character for me to write, he's cool and cunning and smug and uh...very much the opposite of me. But I also much prefer to write him as a guy who really does want change but is really going about it very wrong, instead of just you know another power-hungry crazy person. I think it came out pretty well!


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time in months, X was beginning to feel at ease.

 

It certainly helped that air was quiet tonight as he gazed over the flickering lights of the city from his perch on a belltower he'd come to like. It also helped that the tense mission he'd been on over the last four days had ended in relatively little bloodshed, thanks to Zero’s quick thinking and X’s gentle way of talking people down.

 

And sure enough, just as Zero had warned him, he caught a blip of a signal approaching him from behind, and he smiled, too relieved to be exasperated. “X!” the familiar, cheery voice called as the signal came closer. “You're finally back!”

 

X turned, admittedly surprised to see his friend practically sprinting toward him, his eyes vibrant with energy and excitement and his smile just as bright. “Why do I get the feeling,” X said, “that you're not supposed to be out of bed, much less out roaming the city, Axl?”

 

“Because you know me way too well?” Axl said, skidding to a stop a few feet in front of his friend. He was wearing loose khakis and a dark blue jacket instead of his armor, his hair pulled back into a loose ponytail rather than his usual spikes, but he looked so joyful and energetic, so much like  _ himself _ , that all X could do was pull him into a slightly-too-tight-for-comfort hug. “Heh. Missed you too.”

 

“One of these days you're going to give me a genuine core attack,” X said as Axl hugged him back just as tightly. “Right now I'm just glad you're okay.”

 

“Mostly okay,” Axl corrected. “I mean, walking and being coherent is a good start.”

 

“They sent Zero and I a few reports,” X said. “But we didn't have much time to read them beyond a quick skim. How bad was it?”

 

“Well, it wasn't good,” Axl admitted with a nervous laugh, stepping back and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Most of my vital functions were in shambles and they had to scramble around pulling data from old scans. Guess you were right about getting routine maintenance checks.”

 

“Aren't you finally glad you listened?” X teased. “Still, it's lucky there was enough left to piece back together in the first place. Any lasting damage?”

 

“My memory of the last month or so is a little spotty,” Axl admitted. “Plus I need to do a super thorough check on all my armor systems, I'll probably ask Zero to help. And I guess I still feel sort of...off and woozy? My systems are probably gonna take a while to recalibrate is all. I'm okay though, really!” he added when X frowned in concern. “I'm off field duty for at least the next two months, maybe longer.”

 

He drew a sigh, ambling forward to lean against the edge of the belltower’s balcony and peer out across the city at X’s side. “And it wasn't all luck,” he said quietly. “I don't think I would've made it if you hadn't said what you said.”

 

“Which part?”

 

“About picking your battles. Up 'til that point I was trying so, so hard to fight back, hoping I could get the upper hand and get control back and wrestle him down or something. But when you said that, it just…” Axl frowned, his face scrunching slightly with thought. “Something clicked. Like...that wasn't a fight I was gonna win. But the other thing I was fighting right then was trying to protect all the super important vital coding. You know, like the stuff that makes my core run and the parts that make me...me.”

 

X blinked, a smile slowly beginning to tug at his features as Axl spoke. “So it made more sense to focus on fighting  _ that _ battle to protect whatever I could instead of fighting a battle I wouldn't win, you know?” Axl went on. “I dunno...I'd like to think it helped a little.”

 

“I think it did,” X agreed, his eyes glowing with warmth and pride. “Even the best medics can only piece together so much from scans, unless you gave them a full code backup at some point for some reason. Stopping to think things through isn’t so bad sometimes, huh?” he added, ruffling Axl’s hair.

 

“Fine, fine, you win,” Axl laughed. “I’ll keep it under consideration as a potential tactic. Maybe.”

 

“You’re such a brat.”

 

“I know.”

 

X shook his head in feigned exasperation, leaning against the balcony at Axl’s side and following his gaze out across the twinkling city lights. “I...I kept the appointment with the therapist,” Axl piped up after a brief silence, his voice taking on a softer note. “I kind of have a feeling I’m still gonna have some weird dreams for a while. And that was...a lot.”

 

“Good,” X said. “Because if you hadn’t, Zero and I would’ve dragged your ass there personally.”

 

“You guys worry way too much,” Axl said with a roll of his eyes, though his smile showed that he was more amused than annoyed. “I’m just...glad you figured out I wasn't me when you did. How'd you know?”

 

“For one, because Zero’s smarter than he gives himself credit for,” X replied. “For another, you tried to pull a gun on us in your own bedroom.”

 

“I...I don't even remember that...I think Zero pinned me, but...that's one of the spotty parts.”

 

“Not surprising,” X said. “As soon as we found you in there I could tell something was just a tiny bit off. And it was more obvious the longer we talked- subtle, but obvious enough. Lumine’s no slouch, but he isn't nearly as good at mimicry as you are.”

 

“That's because he doesn't have nearly as much infiltration experience,” Axl said with a hint of a smug smile. “But seriously, thank you. For...for putting so much into this. Into me. I’ll be okay now, seriously. I mean it.”

 

X allowed himself a quiet sigh of relief, most of the weight easing from his shoulders. Most of it, at least. “Axl?” he said, prompting his friend to look up. “There’s something I needed to talk to you about, actually.”

 

“What’s up?”

 

“I’m…” X paused, and it had been hard to tell Zero too, but seeing Axl so upbeat and energetic after going through the worst, he was feeling more and more sure of himself. “Once...you’re fully recovered, I’m...going to retire from field duty, Axl.”

 

Axl blinked in surprise, but when he didn’t immediately speak or protest, X continued in the same quiet but certain tone. “As much as I hate to admit it, Lumine was right about a handful of things. The world as it is right now is...not good. Evolution is moving forward and a lot of lives have been taken unjustly.”

 

“Yeah,” Axl agreed softly. “I don’t like admitting it either, but...the whole meaning of ‘Maverick’ doesn’t... _ feel _ right anymore. I became a Hunter so I could protect innocent people, not...so I could kill someone who has different ideals or happens to be dangerous or wants to change things for the better, even if their methods aren’t right.”

 

“I feel the same way,” X murmured. “It used to mean someone who was infected, or someone who had physically hurt people. Now it’s just anyone dangerous enough to be a threat with the wrong ideals. And...I feel like I need to work on changing that. I want to focus on political and ambassador work. And any time I have to spare I’ll dedicate to researching a cure for the virus.”

 

He finally turned his head to meet Axl’s gaze, and though there was sadness in his eyes, his expression was set stern and stubborn. “I’m confident the Hunters will be in good hands with you and Zero at the forefront. And if something truly awful happens, I won’t hesitate to fight beside you with everything I’ve got. But...I need to do this. I can’t sit back and stay complacent over the state of things any more.”

 

Axl frowned and looked down, and X waited in silence, patiently giving him time to process everything. “You can tell me what you’re thinking,” X said at last. “I didn’t want to do this without talking to you and Zero first.”

 

“I mean…” Axl shuffled uneasily, mulling his words over for a few moments before trying again. “It’s hard, I guess. Change is...always hard, and I’m so used to you...y’know, being there. But…” His frown deepened, and X recognized the look of stubborn determination coming over his features as he looked up. “But you’re right. We can’t sit back and be complacent. And...and I know you wouldn’t make a choice like this lightly. And honestly…”

 

His shoulders slumped slightly, and he rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze again as though embarrassed. “You saying that you wanted to consult me first is like...kind of crazy. And so is you saying you’re okay with leaving the Hunters in mine and Zero’s hands. I mean, Zero’s, sure, but...mine? I’m not a unit leader or anything.”

 

“No,” X said with a shake of his head. “But you’ve got more courage and conviction than most people I know, not to mention a good head on your shoulders to put it into practice.” He paused, a smile tugging at his lips. “Most of the time.”

 

“Hey…”

 

“I’m teasing, don’t give me that look,” X laughed. “In all seriousness though, I mean what I said. I feel better stepping down knowing that you’re around.”

 

“Someone has to keep Zero in check,” Axl pointed out with a grin. “I mean...thank you, X. That...that means a lot, especially coming from you. And...you’re right. Someone does need to fight for long-term social change, and you’ll do far better at that than I ever could. I’ll keep doing what I do best and protect the people who need me, and I’ll support you however I can too.”

 

He straightened up, crossing his arm over his chest in a brief salute, and X did the same, the last of the tension finally easing from his body. “If it makes you feel any better,” X added, “it’s not like I’m going to just up and leave. I think it’ll be best for everyone, myself included, if I slowly step back over the course of several months. And I’m not going to start changing anything until you’re back in the field, anyway.”

 

“That  _ does _ help,” Axl said, looking relieved at the prospect. “‘Cause change is hard and a whole lot of stuff’s gonna change. Hell, maybe someday I’ll be the one in charge of the 17th unit,” he added with a laugh. “Wouldn’t that be something else.”

 

“You never know,” X said with a smile, and he could tell by the gleam in Axl’s eyes that the prospect, no matter how far away it may have been, excited him to no end. “Nothing’s impossible.”

 

“Ain’t that the truth,” Axl agreed. “Which reminds me, I actually think that program Zero made might help when it comes to a cure for the virus. I know it did a number on me, but it was efficient as hell, and Lumine’s data sort of has traces of Sigma’s in it because of his copy chip, right? It’s worth a look at least.”

 

“That’s true,” X said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “You should talk to him when you get back. Speaking of, I’m sure the medics that are supposed to be keeping an eye on you are tearing their hair out right now.”

 

“Probably,” Axl said with a giggle. “Is that you trying to hint to me that I should go home and rest?”

 

“It’s merely an observation,” X replied with an almost sly smile. “How are your legs feeling?”

 

“Well, I walked all the way here without tripping, so fine probably?” Axl said, tilting his head slightly. “Why?”

 

“Because I’m hungry,” X said. “And I know you won’t sit still no matter how many times anyone tells you to.”

 

“Duh, but what’s your point? And last time I checked you’re a robot who can’t feel hunger.”

 

“Do you want ice cream or not, kid?”

 

X couldn’t help a soft snort of amusement as Axl’s eyes immediately lit up, all of the maturity he’d been showing up until now disappearing under a surge of excitement. “I’ll race you to the ice cream shop across town,” X said, beginning to feel unusually energetic himself as he watched Axl practically bouncing in place. “Loser treats. If anyone asks, it was all a test to make sure you’re recovering properly.”

 

“Uh-huh, and totally not your sweet tooth trying to get free ice cream,” Axl teased, narrowing his eyes and continuing to bounce lightly on his toes as if loosening up his servos for the run.

 

“Beat me there and I’ll buy you a double-scoop.”

 

“Ha! As if I’d lose a race to an old man like you.”

 

“You talk a big game, kiddo,” X said with a smirk, and Axl couldn’t help but grow even more excited at his friend’s rare show of playfulness. “Let’s find out if you can back it up!”

 

He turned and broke into a run without another word, Axl taking off at a sprint close behind with a laugh. The cool night air stung at his ventilation system as they ran at a near-even pace, and every time he glanced to the side to check on his friend he was pleased to see Axl matching him step for step, a grin plastered on his face and his eyes gleaming with infectious excitement, pride in himself, focused determination for the challenge at hand, and laughter to warm even the most exhausted of hearts.

 

And for the first time in a very, very long while, X began to feel as if everything would turn out okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...What? Y'all know I'm a sucker for happy endings.  
>  This was also a good chance for me to express my disappointment in X7, because X choosing to step down and retire had the potential to be a FANTASTIC plot point if done correctly. In other words, if we knew what he was DOING with his life while not in the field. You know, something productive instead of continuing the 'stop fighting' tirade.  
> Anyway.  
> (Also X and Axl have a super fucking cute mentor-student relationship and I need more of that in my life.)  
> Hope you all enjoyed! I'm overall super proud of how this little ficlet came out. Now we sit back and wait for X9 to come out and ruin all of my hopes and headcanons.  
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> X and Zero's current mood probably: WELL SHIT.  
> Also really proud of this quality XZero content tbh.


End file.
